Hey Guys,

So this weekend some of my friends and myself tried to get the motor and trans in my Firebird. We got the motor in without too much issue. Upon attempting to mate the trans up to the flex plate and the bellhousings together it simply would not fit.

The center of the torque converter slips into the center of the flexplate great and the holes in the flex plate line up, but there is a half inch gap all around the bellhousing. No matter what we did we could not get the bellhousings to seal and come together.

So we decided to remove trans and look at the torque converter. Of course the 700r4 has two keys that match up to the slats in the torque converter. For the life of us we could not get the torque converter matched up the keys. The converter would feel as though it would slip on but when we turned it, the keys would not turn.

Is this normal?

It just seemed to me that the torque converter was not pushed back far enough.

Also the splines on the converter are another deal. I attached photos of the converter and it's spline setup. The splines have three distinct blank areas(in the photo you can see one of the three). They also appear to be more V shaped than the splines on the trans.

Any ideas guys? This is really a set back right now and I would love to get this car running.

Thanks

 

If you had both tranny and engine out, why not just connect the two THEN install as one unit? It can be a bear to get the two together under the car, it takes alot of nudging just right to get them to slip into one another all the way.

The photo isn't much help - looks like any other TC. What brand, model, part number is it?

 

The torque converter probably wasnt in the transmission all the way. usually it clunks in twice. when its all the way in you should not be able to get your fingers down past the top of converter and transmission bellhousing.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWNX%3AIT

This is the exact torque converter I purchased.

Also it seems to clunk twice, once when it is slipped on and then again when it is rotated a bit and moves in a little further.

I considered mounting them together and then putting it in all at once, however, how difficult is that with our cars? I heard that it would be much easier to remove the front clip and then drop it in.

 

might be the wrong spline count-sometime in 1984
the 700r4's input shaft was changed to 30 spline-
a tranny of that year could be either...
If your tranny is 30 spline,theres the problem.

 

I don't know how I could even get a 30 spline converter on my 27 spline, I mean I counted it perfectly. Any other ideas guys?

 

Ok Guys here is the thing, the torque converter simply does not slip on the whole way in it's entirety. Where can I pick up a stock style or OEM replacement torque converter that I know will fit?

 

Alright good news, I went to a transmission shop today and found out my issue. I in fact do not have a 27 spline 700r4 but a 30 spline. I simply ordered the wrong torque converter. Ordered the correct one today. Thanks all for the help.